Best of December Windows

Tiffany - North Michigan Avenue

Somehow, every month, Tiffany manages to pack more punch in their little 24" x 16" windows than most others get out of space 10-20 times in size.

Always different, always new and forward and always, ALWAYS brand worthy, meaning it meets the standard of "wow" Tiffany customers anticipate.

Take a look (click images for better detail):

Confronting My Pessimism

To get a gauge of this "Black Friday" business, I took a stroll around my neighborhood shops to get an idea of consumer enthusiasm. I live in downtown Chicago, so my "neighborhood" shops, along Michigan Avenue, Oak Street and State Street, may differ from yours, but I tried to be as comprehensive as possible.

Please note, Michigan Avenue is universally considered on of the world's top ten shopping addresses, so expectations were higher than normal.

I captured the afternoon on film to share with you and all pictures were taken between 1pm - 230pm, usually the busiest time of day.

Click on pictures to enlarge for better detail:

Pessimism be damned! UGG Australia has a rope line to get in. Average wait: 15 minutes

Optimism squashed, I notice there is not one person in the check out line at Urban Outfitters:

Kate Spade was trumpeting their $50 price point ON OAK STREET!

The undeniable elegance of Trabert & Hoeffer:

Even Luxury houses such as Chanel and St. John were pushing Sale, it's not even December for goodness sake:

Louis Vuitton is always bubbling with enthusiasm:

A While the 6o-foot Christmas tree at the 900 North Mall is always breathtaking,

The Lack of foot traffic to get in the mall left much to be desired, 

For even Santa was feeling a bit forgotten today (notice there is no line at the bottom right of the photo:

People were not fighting to get in Neiman Marcus:

Or Saks Fifth Avenue

But crowds at Apple let me know iPods, iPhones and Macs are still on everyones wish list: 

The overflow crowd at Garmin let me know there are still lots of people trying to find their way in the world:

There were two separate massive protests. One for Chicago Public School Funding picketing in front of Water Tower Place:

Another against wearers of fur marched, about 500 strong, up and down the Avenue:

They had a few escorts too:

But DJ in the window at Nike Town was there to remind everyone, the Holidays are about peace:

There were a few very serious shoppers out:

But the overwhelming majority of people, as evidenced by these crowd shots, were walking around empty-handed. And that's after the stores had been open for well over 5 hours:

So with such photo evidence, I need not wait until Monday's reporting period to say this weekend is hinting at Waterloo. I will post Saturday on "What's Next", so look for that.

Since it is the Holiday Season and I want to end on a high note. Treat yourself to one of life's great treats.

If you are in the vicinity of the Peninsula Hotel, just a block west of Michigan Ave. at Superior, there is no way you should pass up Pierrot Gourmet's, WORLDS BEST HOT CIDER!

They regulate the temperature of the cider to the outdoor temp. So if it is very cold, the cider is made very hot. However, if the temp is more mild like today's lows 40's, the cider is served hot, but at a drinkable temperature.

The crew knows a bit about the temperature because the drink stand is OUTSIDE the restaurant. Warm friendly faces and attitudes to match make this a stop every Chicagoan and tourist should put on your schedule.

The Hot Cocoa, served with a semi-sweet chocolate plastic stirring spoon, also cannot be beat.

Notice also, they maintain their 5-Star standards (hello authentic sterling silver carafes), even outdoors.

So even if you cannot afford the splurges of holiday's past, you can always afford to treat yourself to 10 minutes of civilization, if only in the form of a warm drink in your belly.

Best of Oct: Barney's NY Part II

If you ever want an idea of what to strive for when creating visually compelling windows, start with these.

The artist or, surely, artists at Barney's achieve the spectacular, the odd, the jaw-dropping, the unique and the spectacular in five panes. 

Coherence, clarity, individuality, deep personality, wit, aspiration and, my favorite, relevance are all present.

To take a theme (ostrich) and work it in 5 mediums, from actual plumage, to wire hangers, even suit swatches takes more talent than one can imagine.

All well done, all telling a separate story, and done with depth (both literal and figurative).

This is usage of the window space practiced in it's highest form.

I look forward to keeping an eye out for this team's work in the coming months.

Best Of Oct. Barney's NY (Rush & Oak St.)

Very few people can do what you see in the first image. In one succinct window pane you get:

1. The hottest topic in popular culture (the Presidential Election).
2. A humorous nod to local pride in race (Abe of Illinois, just like Obama).
3. An unencumbered view of the genius that is Dior tailoring.
4. An uncluttered reminder of your civic duty (Go and VOTE!).

This is one of the strongest simple presentations I have seen, ever. I spent a considerable amount of time taking it in at all angles. 

I came to the conclusion that the single most impressive thing about the entire window, is how the whole visual is authenticated by the small piece of felt pretending to be Abe's beard. Had faux hair been used it would not have been as effective, or gratifying.

This, folks, is damn near genius.

Why Windows Matter

As budgets start to contract throughout the entire retail hierarchy (most especially in support divisions), the usage of window space becomes a critical component of driving your business. 

Let's face it, spending, on advertising in particular,  is dramatically down in the past four months. Retailers, design houses and boutiques are being stretched to a limit not seen in modern retail history. Therefore every function of the company must be lock step in an all-out quest to promote your brand. Every dollar spent on anything beyond inventory must be expected to produce a significant return on investment. 

Display windows, in any store, should be a driving force in that quest. A poor visual display in your window gains little to no interest and thus was not worth the time spent doing them. Good visuals in store windows show the public what you are selling and even drive a specific item in the display to sell much better. Great visual displays are something else entirely. 

Great windows not only drive business, but additionally, they enhance or reinforce your brand and demand contemplation from a public notorious for possessing a short attention span.

Poor Windows are usually done by "a person" working at the store. Good windows are usually done by very competent visual teams that work within the stores, guided by the bureaucratic corporate idea of uniformity. However, great windows can only be achieved through the direction of ARTISTS, whether they are part of a team of visual artists within the stores ,or are contracted out by the retailer. In either case, they are given pretty much complete autonomy, for the retailer hired them for their ability to creatively express themselves.

I saw more than a few examples of each this week.

Here are a few from my most recent walk.